Unspoken words
by Ms D Longbottom
Summary: Round 9 for the Quidditch League Fan Fiction Competition: What if Harry Potter had died in the Chamber of Secrets? A story of how the Weasley Family attempted to cope with Harry's loss.


Round 9: What if Harry Potter had died in the Chamber of Secrets?

Position: Chaser 1

Team: Pride of Portree

***NOTE**: In scene from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- The Heir of Slytherin- page 236-237 Fawkes tears heal Harry's basilisks wound before Ginny wakes up. In this story that doesn't happen!

Prompts: Bleeding heavily  
An undelivered letter  
Sentence: S/he's too quiet these days.

**Unspoken Words**

Ginny Weasley sat at the kitchen table of her own home with a mug of tea in her hands. Her mother was busy cutting vegetables while the pots were washing themselves in the sink. If she strained her ears hard enough she could just make out her muffled snuffles. Though she did her best to hide it for the sake of her family, in her eyes Molly Weasley had lost one of her own sons.

Ginny sighed bringing her mug to her lips and set her gaze out of the window. Her brothers Fred and George were aiding her father to rid the garden of gnomes. Arthur Weasley had attempted to return a sense of normality to the burrow. But Ginny could tell by the way their shoulders slumped and by their pathetic throws that the Weasley men just didn't feel up to it.

Percy was in his room no doubt conversing via letter with Penlope Clearwater, he still only left his room at meal times. But instead of a dopey love sick look in his eyes, it would be a look of sadness. Penlope was providing some form of help to her brother at least, it kept his mind on something.

She didn't have the faintest idea where Ron was. She hoped he was off somewhere with Hermione. He's too quiet these days. Anytime Ron did reveal himself to the rest of his family he looked tired and haggered and rarely spoke at all. There were deep, dark circles under his eyes and his skin was paler then usual. No matter how often Mrs Weasley or anyone else coaxed him he still barely ate. His remaining best friend seemed to be his only source of comfort.

Harry's death had effected them all, he had saved her life but in return lost his own. She had held onto Harry as his life ebed from his body. Ron had arrived to see him take his final few breaths.

A silent tear slid down her cheek. No matter how many times she'd been told that she wasn't responsible for Harry's death she felt it. If she hadn't been drawn in by Tom Riddles diary, Harry and Ron wouldn't of had to attempt to save her from the chamber of secrets in the first place.

She laid her mug on the table quietly and made her way upstairs. She entered her room closing the door behind her, finally releasing the sobs which racked her body. She crawled onto her bed and hugged her pillow against her chest, lost in the memory of Harry's death.

Remembering waking on the cold wet floor of the chamber, dazed and confused. Turning her head to see Harry laying sprawled on his back, bleeding heavily from a wound deep in his arm. His breathing was laboured and his eyes barely open. Dumbledore's phoenix was cawing softly, rubbing his beak gently against Harry's face.

"Oh Harry! Harry! I- I tried to tell you at breakfast. I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry" She cried pulling him into her. She laid his head gently on her lap.

"S'alright Gin. He's gone. Ron...Ron's coming." He wheezed.

"Just hang on Harry okay? You're going to be okay." She begged as she cried. His body shook and Ginny tried desperately to hold him steady and comfort him.

"Ron...Ron..." He rasped.

"He's coming Harry. He's coming he's going to bring help. You're going to be okay just hang on. Please" She choked to him. He closed his eyes and Ginny screamed out into the empty chamber.

"RON! RON HELP! PLEASE! HELP!"

There was a hurried slapping of foot falls and Ron skidded into the chamber. He had a small cut on his head and was covered in dust, rock and slime. He had to remove countless rocks to get to them. He was tired and weak.

"GINNY! HARRY!" He yelled. He stumbled and fell next to his fallen friend and stroked his hand through his dark hair.

"Ron..." He gasped opening his eyes slightly

"Hey buddy, helps on the way okay? McGonagal is coming. Hang on."

"Ron..." Harry's eyes closed for the last time and he drew his last shaky breath. Proffesor McGonagal and Professor Dumbledore arrived five minutes later. But it was already much too late.

The funeral hadn't been overly extravagant. The Dursley seemed so calm about Harry's death, Ginny hadn't seen them shed a single tear. Fellow students from Hogwarts and all his professors gathered however and said their good byes. Ginny even saw Severus Snape dare to shed a few muffled sniffles over his lost student which she found curious.

The Dursley's had given Harry's few possessions to Ron. They were sitting up in his room along with Harry's Hogwarts trunk. As far as she was aware Ron hadn't had the heart to open them. Too many mementos of his beloved school friend.

Ginny took deep breaths and began to regain her composure. Harry wouldn't have wanted anyone to be upset or blame themselves for his death, he'd had what Mrs Weasley liked to call hero syndrome. Piecing herself together Ginny stood once again and headed for Ron's room up in the attic.

She found Harry's box of things and opened it slowly. It was exactly what she'd expected. A few pairs of clothes, some old quills and his birthday cards and gifts from them all for that year. That was all that remained of the boy who had lived, the one with the lightning scar. She went to close the box when an unopened letter caught her eye. It didnt have Harry's name written on it but it was sealed. Perhaps he meant to send it to someone himself.

An undelivered letter. It was wrong to open she knew but Ginny couldn't help herself. She wanted to see him printed on paper, his messy scrawl. She tore open the letter sitting on the end of Ron's bed.

_Dear The Weasley Family,_

_Thank you all for bringing me into your family and accepting me as a son and a brother. Its the first time I've got to feel like a proper member of a family. I can never thank you all enough and I just hope I can do you all justice. I love you all so much. Especially you Ron, you and Hermione are the best friends and sibling a guy could ever ask for. Thank you._

_Harry Potter._

Ginny was still sat on Ron's bed when he returned later that evening. He was angry to find his little sister going through her best friends things. If he couldn't go through them no one could.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!? YOU HAD NO RIGHT! NO RIGHT! THAT'S HARRY STUFF, YOU HEAR? DON'T TOUCH IT" Ron yelled. He was fuming. Ginny was startled by her brothers outburst but not surprised. She was even kind of grateful, it was the most he'd said to her in several weeks.

She stood and handed him Harry's letter without a word. She let him read it and watched him choke and sob and break down. She pulled her big brother into a hug and they cried together.

"He knew he was loved Ron. He loved all of us. You and Hermione made him happy for the first time in his miserable life. It's okay. He'll always be with us. In here" She croaked jabbing her brother in his chest right over his heart.


End file.
